This invention relates to a handle which can be attached in a particular manner to an orbital sander to allow the sander to be used on walls, ceilings, and the like.
The invention will be described with use of the sander and the handle in the field of plastering, but it should be appreciated that no limitation is meant thereby.
In the plastering profession, wall boards, ceiling boards, cornices, and the like are joined in an invisible manner by the use of plaster. The plaster is applied in several coats and must be sanded down between coats. Sanding is extremely time consuming but great care must be taken in order to ensure a smooth and acceptable finish. Ceilings and ceiling corners need to be sanded as well as walls and this requires the use of ladders, scaffolding or even stilts, all of which are time consuming, clumsy and present an element of danger. Orbital sanders are conventionally used to sand down between coats. For ceilings, the sanders must be held in an upside-down orientation for quite a lengthy time. Similarly, when sanding wall joins, the sander must be held in a vertical position and must often be held above the person""s head. Attempts have been made to hold the orbital sander in some form of cage or housing. The cage or housing can then be attached to an extension pole. However, the cage or housing tends to be quite heavy and is attached at various points to the sander. Often, holes need to be drilled through the sander body or even sander head which can nullify any warranty to the sander and can also present an electrical shock risk.
The present invention is directed to a handle of special design which can be attached to an orbital sander in a particular manner and can function to at least partially reduce the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the public with a useful or commercial choice.
In one form, the invention resides in a handle for an orbital sander of the type having a dust extractor containing an exhaust outlet, the handle having:
a first part in the form of an elongate member having a through passageway with two open ends, one end being attachable to the exhaust outlet to attach the handle to the sander and to allow dust to pass through the first passageway member, the other end being attachable to a dust discharge hose, a second part which is extendable over the top, or at least partially over a portion of the sander, and attachment means to allow the handle to be attached to a pole. Suitably, the first part is an elongate tubular member.
The handle may include guide means extending from a portion of the handle spaced from the sander, the guide means being adapted to contact the surface to be sanded and functioning to hold the handle relative to the surface such that, when attached to the sander, the sander is in working alignment with the surface.
In a more particular form, the handle as described above, is attached to the sander only about the exhaust outlet.
In another form, the invention resides in a handle for an orbital sander, the handle being attachable to the sander and having guide means adapted for engagement with the surface to be worked.
The handle has a first part which can comprise a hollow cylindrical tube which can be formed of metal or plastic. The tube is typically straight and has two opposed open ends. One end is attached to the exhaust outlet in such a manner that the dust can pass through the tubular member. If the exhaust outlet is provided with a collar, the tubular member can be fitted about the collar. If necessary, a coupling or other form of attachment means may be required to allow the tubular member to be attached in such a manner that the exhaust dust passes through the tubular member. The length of the tubular member can vary to suit but a typical length will be between 20-40 cm. The tubular member can have various diameters, or various cross-sections If the tubular member is not circular; It is typical for the diameter to be between 10-30 mm to provide a good flow through of dust. The other end of the tubular member can be attached to a dust discharge hose. For instance, this can be in the form of a vacuum hose to suck the dust through the tubular member to a dust bag. The tubular member need not be attached to a vacuum hose in which case the dust will simply pass out the other open end, but if the tubular member is of sufficient length, this will be away from the person""s face.
The handle has a second part. The second part may also comprise a tubular member and may be of a length and diameter similar to that above. The second part has a portion which extends over the top, or over part of the sander, for instance, the handle of the sander. It is preferred that the second part does not extend past the top of the sander as if it does so, it may damage or scratch an adjacent wall. An attachment means is provided to allow the handle to be attached to a pole. This allows a person to sand the ceiling while standing on the ground. The attachment means may be in the form of an attachment plate, bracket, collar, and the like. It is preferred that the attachment means is on the second part. It is further preferred that the attachment means is on the second part and generally over the top of the sander, or at a xe2x80x9cbalance pointxe2x80x9d of the sander, as this allows an attached pole to properly hold the weight of the handle and the sander.
The handle may have a guide means. The guide means extends from a portion of the handle spaced from the sander and typically is attached to or extends from a rear portion of the first part. The guide means functions to hold the handle at a position such that the sander face is flat on the wall of ceiling to be worked. The guide means can be in the form of one or more slide members which can slide over the surface to be sanded. The slide members may be in the form of rearwardly extending fingers. Other forms of guide means are envisaged. For instance, the guide means comprise one or more rollers which may be castor rollers to allow the rollers to swivel. Alternatively, the guide means may be in the form of a simple knob which may be formed of or coated with a low friction material such as Teflon to facilitate sliding over the surface to be sanded. The guide means may be removable from the handle if not required.
It is preferred that a safety guard is provided to protect the sanding pad. The safety guard may comprise a collar which can be fitted about the sander and which functions to prevent the sander pad from striking an adjacent wall.
To improve the versatility of the handle, it is preferred that the guard is attachable to the exhaust outlet and/or the first part of the handle as this eliminates the need to drill holes into any part of the orbital sander itself in which to mount the safety guard.